


around and around we go

by kickassfu



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Almost No Dialogue, Alternate Universe - Fusion, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Fluff, Fusion with the universe of Guardian, M/M, Pining, Time Travel, a chinese drama, a lil humor, basically if Merthur were the two main characters of that show, if you know about Guardian you know what i'm talking about, introspective for the most part, they meet twice for the first time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-29
Updated: 2020-05-29
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:14:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,166
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24432667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kickassfu/pseuds/kickassfu
Summary: Arthur.Merlin can’t quite bring himself to look away, - which by now is starting to become a bit weird and awkward -  and then Arthur is looking at him too, a question in his eyes. He could spend years and years in this one moment; just them, gazing at each other till the world explodes. But his golden hair disappears from the window, Merlin’s heart aching once again with heavy loneliness and yearning.
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 25





	around and around we go

**Author's Note:**

> Someone on tumblr sent me: If you happen to also be a Merlin fan, I'm dying for a crossover! The whole immortal-superpowered-mystical-hero-takes-care-of-his-reincarnated-hero-bae thing is so strong with both modernAU!Merthur and Weilan.
> 
> which is the reason i got into Merlin lol and this fic has just...idk, i wasn’t sure what to do with it. it’s been tough. but i just decided to pick two moments, and it’s mostly introspective. who knows i might write more of it. Anyway it’s Merthur in the Guardian (a chinese drama) universe, if you don’t know it and you don’t understand this fic I’m sorry! I tried to make it understandable i think. Hope you like it.

It’s been years, centuries, _millennia_ even - _time is a constant force that never lets up, and eventually one stops keeping count_ \- since the last time he’s seen Arthur. Truth be told he’s given up hope that he might see him again, if it hasn’t happened until now, why would it happen at all? It’s ridiculous, no matter how much power Merlin has, nothing can temper the aching inside his chest. His heart still bleeds for him, beats out of sync from its missing part.

So, when he’s helping some bloke that fell on his arse, and glances up at the window above, at first what he sees doesn’t compute at all. But a second later something clicks and he looks up again, fixed on _that_ face, that _smile_ -

-Brilliant, beautiful, pure-

_Arthur._

Merlin can’t quite bring himself to look away, - which by now is starting to become a bit weird and awkward - and then Arthur is looking at him too, a question in his eyes. He could spend years and years in this one moment; just them, gazing at each other till the world explodes. But his golden hair disappears from the window, Merlin’s heart aching once again with heavy loneliness and yearning.

Helping up the man, _Gwaine_ he says, with his sweeping hair and charming smile, Merlin feels a certain kinship, calmer in the face of emotions he’s been trying to keep under lock and key for so long he’s forgotten. Before he can say anything, to introduce himself back or respond to the obvious flirtatious looks he’s getting from Gwaine, Arthur’s there. So close he could touch him, would touch him if-

But he _can’t_.

No matter how much his hands burn to do so.

All he can do is stare, and stare, and stare - which is starting to get a little creepy, probably, so he shakes it off, as much as he can.

It’s bloody hard to do so though, as the world settles around him, something long lost returned, the two parts of the whole getting reconnected. It’s hard to remember _this_ Arthur isn’t his Arthur quite yet, that he doesn’t remember it, _him_ \- that even if they’ve met in Merlin’s past, it’s still yet to come in Arthur’s future.

Two first meetings, where one already knows the other and where one is blind to it - they were always meant to meet somehow, the world pushed them to it, or their souls pulled them together, or _something_.

The years come and go, and time travel still eats at Merlin’s mind, he considers himself to be a fairly intelligent man (genius even, if he’s bragging, which he doesn’t do... _much_ ), but no matter how he tries to figure out how it all works- well let’s say his skills lie elsewhere, and it’s smarter to just leave it be.

He does eventually get shaken out of his musings (and awkward staring), by Arthur’s hand being given freely for Merlin to touch - it’s a handshake, he knows, but he can touch him now without being too weird. And Merlin grabs onto it, like a lifeboat.

“Arthur Pendragon, Director of SID.” Arthur’s voice is music to Merlin’s ears, and his smile is enough to take his breath away, he just missed him so fucking much. And even though Merlin never was one for poetics, the words come unbidden to him, like a man starved for one thing only, _Arthur_.

“Merlin Emrys, biology professor.” he says, or he thinks he says, he can’t quite remember if the words ever came out, never letting go of Arthur’s hand.

* * *

A sense of a memory long past that hasn’t quite happened yet sings to Arthur; like déjà vu, except not at all, completely different actually. He just can’t quite explain it, but there’s a familiarity in Merlin that he can’t quite put his finger on - not that he’d mind putting his fingers on him - _there’s something about him_. And he’s quite sure he’s never met him, even though he never forgets a face, so it’s all very confusing. By the way Merlin’s looking at him too, there has to be something there, something more that he’s missing. Or maybe he’s just as attracted to Arthur, as he is to Merlin; but it feels like it’s more than that.

Arthur feels _seen_ , in ways he doesn’t think he ever felt it. Like something is settling inside of him, a warmth that has been missing and he hadn’t even noticed until now.

The way Merlin’s hand fits in his is nice, its weight feels _right_ , but it’s been a while now, and Merlin isn’t letting go, which is flattering, but _weird_. He pulls on it a little (too) hard, and Merlin seems to realize it and drops his hand as if he’s been burned.

“I’m going to have to ask you a few questions, about the crime that occurred on campus last night, Professor Emrys.”

“Right, because you’re part of SID, the Special Investigation Department. And they called _you_ for this.” Merlin looks like someone who’s putting all the puzzle pieces together all by himself - his face in deep thinking is certainly attractive, but Arthur is surprised, not many people know of the department.

“You’ve heard of it, impressive. So-”

Merlin looks down at his watch, and grimaces, “Well, class is about to start, sorry. The questioning will need to be done at a later date, you know where to find me.” he says and turns to leave, turning back around before going too far, “It was nice meeting all of you, bye.”

There definitely is something about him.

* * *

So many secrets, so many things left unexplained, and now Arthur _understands_. Merlin couldn’t bloody well tell him everything, for fear that he’d never get sent back in time, that they’d never meet. _Time travel bollocks_. He hates it. But looking at a younger Merlin (not that his looks changed a bit over time), a more innocent version, open hearted with easier smiles - makes all of it up to him.

Except that now it’s his turn to lie, to _hide_ things. And the idea that he’ll need to leave him without explaining anything, that Merlin will wait ten thousand years alone, without Arthur, breaks his fucking heart.

The only constant is that Arthur loves him, and that Merlin loves him back. That after this they’ll be living on the same time, with the same memories patched together, no more lies just _love_ \- if he can get back, and he’ll do _anything_ to get back.

* * *

Merlin is pretty sure Arthur is a bit of a prat, but he’s also really nice and lovely and well, _attractive_ \- Merlin isn’t blind ok? He feels a certain pull between them, he doesn’t know what it is, and quite frankly doesn’t really care. It’s nice being with him, _natural_. As if a heavy weight has lifted from inside of him, helping him breathe easier.

He can’t wait to learn more about him, to spend more time with him.

**Author's Note:**

> i'm also kickassfu on tumblr~~


End file.
